Conventional flying toys, such as remote controlled toy airplanes, helicopters or the like are known and are operated in the open air. Therefore, such toy air planes or helicopters are basically similar in structure to real machines which they replicate.
Underwater toys driven by a wireless means, such as toy submarines, are also known and are typically operated in a relatively expansive environment, such as a pond or the like. Such toy submarines are again of a similar structure to real submarines which they replicate in that the volume of the air in the ballast tank is adjusted for the toy submarine to surface or dive.
Since flying toys and toy submarines are of a similar structure to real machines which they replicate, they typically are plagued by relatively high manufacturing costs to an extent that the resulting retail prices are too high that children cannot easily afford to buy them. Furthermore, operating flying toys is an art which is extremely difficult to learn. As a result, such flying toys tend to crash and break during flight involving a substantial amount of expense for repair. On the other hand, toy submarines often face a problem in that they can venture beyond the range of wireless communication while submerged resulting in the toy becoming lost. Since both flying toys and the toy submarines require an extensive space in which to operate, they are clearly not well suited to indoor entertainment.
The present invention was made to solve the above described problems. In this regard, one object of the present invention is to provide a water tank which fulfills the fantasy of an outer space townscape or a view under atmospheric conditions in the sky such that a toy set afloat therein gives an illusory view of an object cruising in the outer space weightlessness or flying in the atmosphere. According to the present invention, therefore, the submersible toys moving around in the water contained in the water tank are free from the risk of crashing or being lost.
A further object of the invention is to provide a water tank which defines a quasi-space which is free from the risk of operational failure because the wireless signal transmitter (e.g., a wireless antenna or an infrared ray emitting diode) is positioned physically in the water tank such that operational failures are avoided due, for example, to electromagnetic wave dead space.
In order to accomplish the above mentioned objects, the water tank which defines a quasi-space according to the present invention has as a background section provided at a back surface thereof and/or a georama section provided on a floor thereof. The background section may thus have a background picture while the georama may have an imitation town whereby a toy is driven relative thereto by means of wireless remote-controlled signals. The background may, for example, be representative of an outer space environment, while the imitation town provided with the georama may be a complementary futuristic space town.
The water tank of the present invention may further include a top section equipped with an ultraviolet rays emitter which responsively causes fluorescent paint on the background picture to glow. The submersible toy vehicles employed in the present invention may have a driver's seat and an imitation light portion in the proximity thereof. The imitation light may include a portion painted with a fluorescent paint so as to provide an image of a light being turned on in the ultraviolet rays emitted by the ultraviolet rays emitter.
The submersible toy vehicle that is employed in the present invention may also be subjected to a buoyancy setting such that said toy normally floats on the water surface and is driven to submerge in the water. Alternatively, the said toy buoyancy setting may be such that the toy normally submerges below the water surface and is driven to surface.
It is further acceptable to further include at least one antenna provided at a desired location within said water tank for wireless remote control. In this regard, at least one antenna is most preferably arranged along an inner wall of the water tank. Furthermore, the georama may be provided with an imitation antenna which functionally serves as the antenna used to transmit the remote-control signals. The antenna may alternatively be buried in a corner portion of the water tank.
In case where an infrared control means are used as the remote-control signal transmitter, the infrared ray emitting diodes are preferably submerged underwater. Furthermore, it is especially preferred that each infrared ray emitting diode be provided at respective opposite corners of the water tank.